Scottish Executive

Asylum Seekers

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what discussions it has had with the Home Office or the relevant local authorities about the proposed accommodation centre for asylum seekers at RAF Turnhouse.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive is engaged in regular and continuing dialogue with the Home Office and local authorities about a range of issues relating to asylum seekers. There has been no decision by the Home Office on whether or not to site an accommodation centre for asylum seekers at RAF Turnhouse. Scottish ministers will be consulted on any proposed site.

Children

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what responsibilities it has to take forward the United Nations recommendations following the publication of the concluding observations on Her Majesty's Government's second report produced by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive is fully committed to the principles of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and has taken note of the concluding observations of the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child. Many of these relate to devolved matters and will be taken into account as policy is developed.

Children

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to address the issue of corporal punishment following the publication of the concluding observations on Her Majesty's Government's second report produced by the United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken as a result of the publication of the concluding observations on Her Majesty's Government's second report produced by the UN Committee on the Rights of the Child, and in particular, to ensure that there is an immediate public information campaign on positive, non-violent discipline.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive has taken note of the concluding observations of the UN Committee. In the Criminal Justice (Scotland) Bill it is already seeking to clarify and tighten the law on physical punishment. Alongside this legislative approach, we also wish Scottish parents to have information on the possible effects of physical punishment, and to have access to positive parenting approaches to discipline. An information strategy is currently being developed, which will be co-ordinated with the implementation of the bill, to provide information on positive parenting approaches both to parents and to the professionals and agencies who support and advise them.

Civil Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31558 by Mr Andy Kerr on 9 December 2002, what weight is attached to (a) delivery of results, (b) continuous improvement and (c) relative performance in the performance management of its senior civil servants.

Mr Andy Kerr: The delivery of results and continuous improvement are equally important and contribute to the assessment of relative performance.

Civil Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31558 by Mr Andy Kerr on 9 December 2002, by what process the delivery of results is judged in the performance management system operating in the senior civil service.

Mr Andy Kerr: Judgements on the delivery of results required in the annual performance agreement are made by the reporting officers and discussed with the staff member being reported on as part of the open reporting process.

Civil Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31558 by Mr Andy Kerr on 9 December 2002, whether 360-degree appraisals are used in the performance management of its senior civil servants and whether such appraisals are used elsewhere in the civil service.

Mr Andy Kerr: All members of the senior civil service have had the opportunity to participate in 360-degree feedback, the result of which are relevant to the development discussion which is part of the appraisal process.

Civil Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-31557 by Mr Andy Kerr on 6 December 2002, how many (a) top tranche performers were awarded 3% of their salary as opposed to the fixed sum of £3,000 and (b) middle tranche performers were awarded 3% of their salary as opposed to the fixed sum of £2,000 and what the total value of the payments were in each category.

Mr Andy Kerr: In the top tranche three people were awarded a bonus of 3% of salary. The total value of those bonus payments was £9,205. In the middle tranche 17 people were awarded a bonus of 3% of salary. The total value of those bonus payments was £40,817.

Civil Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the performance management system for senior civil servants is likely to be reviewed and what input it will have to any such review.

Mr Andy Kerr: An evaluation of the first year of the new Senior Civil Service Performance Management and Pay arrangements has been carried out by the Cabinet Office with support from consultants. As a major employer of senior civil servants, the Scottish Executive participated with in-depths interviews and an electronic survey. The Cabinet Office are currently considering the findings of this evaluation.

Cycling

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of cycle trips taken in the light of the targets of the National Cycling Strategy not being met.

Lewis Macdonald: Figures to show whether the targets of the National Cycling Strategy are being met in Scotland are not currently available. The Executive is promoting cycling by a number of means, including financial support for local authorities and the voluntary sector.

Ferry Services

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will undertake a review of the operation of the first four months of NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd’s contract to provide ferry services to Orkney and Shetland.

Lewis Macdonald: In terms of the agreement between the ministers and NorthLink Orkney and Shetland Ferries Ltd, the company is required to provide to the Executive regularly a range of information on performance, carryings and vessel capacity utilisation, to comply with the monitoring regime set out in the agreement. In addition, my officials are in regular contact with the company, and hold monthly progress meetings with the company. I consider these arrangements to be sufficient to allow the Executive to keep the operation of the contract under review.

Fire Service

Phil Gallie (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the First Minister what steps the Scottish Executive has taken to ensure that there is adequate fire service cover, in the event of the firefighters withdrawing their labour again.

Mr Jack McConnell: The contingency arrangements for emergency fire cover that operated satisfactorily during the two previous strikes will be used in the event of further industrial action.

  However, I am sure that everyone in Scotland would join me in urging for a negotiated settlement and no further strikes.

Fire Service

Lord James Douglas-Hamilton (Lothians) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications to join the fire service have been received in each of the last three years; how many were selected for appointment, and by what criteria they were selected.

Hugh Henry: The information available is not precisely in the form requested. The following table indicates the number of applications made to the fire service for the past three years and the number of applicants who received a contract of employment – the number selected for appointment will be limited in general to the number of available vacancies.

  Applications to Join the Fire Service in Scotland (Whole-time)

  
  1999-2000
2000-011 2001-022
 Applications made
1,951 5,953
3,113  Contracts 
awarded 129
232 171


  Notes:

  1. Does not include data for Dumfries and Galloway and Highland and Islands.

  2. Does not include data for Grampian.

  Each fire authority makes their appointments in line with The Fire Services (Appointment and Promotions) (Scotland) Regulations 1978 and Point of Entry Selection Tests – the detail of which may vary from brigade to brigade – but will generally cover physical fitness, written tests and practical aptitude tests.

Firearms

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will issue a consultation document on minimum sentencing for the possession of firearms.

Mr Jim Wallace: We have no plans for such a document given that firearms legislation is reserved.

Firearms

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many crimes in 2001 involved the use of firearms.

Mr Jim Wallace: The requested information on the number of crimes and offences involving the alleged use of firearms in 2001 is published in Table 1 of the statistical bulletin Recorded Crimes and Offences Involving Firearms, Scotland, 2001 . Copies of the bulletin are available in Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 24105).

Firearms

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how many firearm licence certificates were issued for 2001.

Mr Jim Wallace: The requested information on the number of firearm certificates issued in 2001 is published in Table 1 of the statistical bulletin Firearm Certificates Statistics, Scotland, 2001 . Copies of the bulletin are available in Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 22812).

Firearms

Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-23704 by Mr Jim Wallace on 18 March 2002, why information on the seizure of illegal firearms is not held centrally and what information is available to gauge the extent of illegal firearm possession.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Scottish Executive is consulting with Scottish police forces, via the Scottish Criminal Statistics Committee, about collecting information on the numbers of seizures of illegally held firearms. Scottish police forces hold such information but do not currently record this data in a standard way.

Health

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to improve standards of care in the NHS.

Mr Frank McAveety: The Executive is continuing to work with the NHS and patients to ensure further improvements in the standards of care delivered to patients. We have established NHS Quality Improvement Scotland, with responsibility for setting clinical and other standards and reviewing rigorously performance against these standards.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether managed clinical network (MCN) staff will be employed directly by an MCN or remain employees of GP practices and NHS trusts.

Malcolm Chisholm: Health professionals working in managed clinical networks will experience no change in their employment arrangements.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any staff have been appointed to a managed clinical network.

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether staff employed in managed clinical networks will receive the same pay and conditions as NHS staff or whether discretion will be given over pay to each network in order to address staff shortages.

Malcolm Chisholm: We are aware that managed clinical networks (MCNs) have appointed staff. As these networks will operate as virtual organisations, the contract of employment for staff working in MCNs will continue to be held by the relevant trust, board or primary care organisation.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether managed clinical networks will be allocated their own budgets.

Malcolm Chisholm: No. Since managed clinical networks are an integral part of local health service delivery, responsibility for commissioning services will remain with NHS boards. Managed clinical networks will, however, provide boards with authoritative advice on the allocation of resources.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when the instant appointments system, as referred to on page 52 of Recording Our Achievements , will be achieved.

Malcolm Chisholm: Practical experience of an instant appointments system, under which people know the time of their hospital appointment before leaving their local surgery, has been achieved in four NHS board areas.

  This experience has led to a reassessment of the processes needed to meet the needs of both patients and health professionals. Appointments made before the patient leaves the GP surgery may be appropriate for some urgent clinical conditions, but for the bulk of conditions the key is to involve the patient appropriately in making the appointment and, thereafter, to keep the patient informed of progress.

  In common with the NHS in England, which has reached similar conclusions, we are now developing flexible processes to ensure that that involvement takes place throughout Scotland. These processes need not be electronic, but must be proactive, transparent and appropriate to the clinical and personal circumstances of the patient.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many statutory registered health professionals currently practice homeopathy.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not centrally collected. I understand from the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital that while it is difficult to assess with accuracy of the number of statutory registerable health professionals who currently practice homeopathy in Scotland, as a useful indicator, however, it is known that over the last 10 years the following numbers of professionals have received training in homeopathy at the national centre of the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital:

  
 Professions
Numbers  General 
Practitioners 600
 Other Doctors
100  Pharmacists
120  Dentists
40  Nurses
50  Veterinary 
Surgeons 30 

  And small numbers in other disciplines.

  (These figures are not comprehensive, since there are a number of other institutions where training in homeopathy can be obtained).

  Further information is available from the Glasgow Homoeopathic Hospital.

Health

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many health professionals have received training in homeopathy as part of continuous professional development programmes in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Chisholm: The information requested is not held centrally.

  I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-32837 today. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Health

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many abortions have been performed since 1967 under the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 and how many of these have been performed in order to save the life of the pregnant women under section 1(1) of the act, expressed also in percentage of the total number of abortions.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Information on abortions performed in Scotland under the provisions of the Abortion Act 1967 are published annually by the Information and Statistics Division (ISD) of NHS Scotland. Figures can be accessed at the following link:

  http://www.show.scot.nhs.uk/isd/sexual_health/Abortion/AAS_homepage.htm

  Table 6 on these web pages provides figures for 1986 to 2001.

  Information on abortions performed in order to save the life of the woman is only available from 1991, recorded in the abortion notifications under ground F (it was necessary to save the life of the woman).

Higher Education

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how the future development of the Crichton campus will be funded.

Iain Gray: As recommended in the report of the South of Scotland Steering Group, the Scottish Higher Education Funding Council has established a working group comprising the Higher Education and Further Education institutions active in the South and South west of Scotland to stimulate strategic approaches to developing provision. The interim report of this group is due to be delivered to me shortly.

Hospital-Acquired Infection

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive why the number of hospital-acquired infections (HAI) has risen as reported by the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health.

Mr Frank McAveety: There has been a steady increase in the incidence of methycillin-resistant staphillococus aureus (MRSA) infections across the UK in recent years. As part of the Executive's drive to address health care-associated infection (HAI), the Scottish Centre for Infection and Environmental Health (SCIEH) monitors the incidence of MRSA bacteraemia infections (blood poisoning) in Scottish hospitals. Results have been published for each six-month period since April 2001. The latest three sets of results show no significant change in the rate of these MRSA infections.

  The incidence of MRSA reflects the complex interaction of a number of factors. MRSA exists in the community as well as in hospitals. Tackling health care associated infection, including MRSA, is an important priority for the NHS. I expect the service to continue to tackle HAI through a mix of prudent antibiotic prescribing, good hygiene and effective infection control procedures.

Local Government Finance

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-24884 by Mr Andy Kerr on 30 July 2002, whether it will update the table on the support that it provides to local government for implementing its initiatives to include a breakdown of the 2003-04 figures.

Peter Peacock: Table 1 lists specific Scottish Executive initiatives for 2003-04 and associated financial support, including additional funding for existing initiatives, included within general revenue grant (Aggregate External Finance), non-housing capital allocations, Housing Revenue Account (HRA) allocations and specific grants from departmental programmes.

  Table 1: Scottish Executive Support for Local Government

  
  2003-04(£ 
million)  Aggregate External Finance
7,315.3  Including 
allocations for:  Education 
and Young People  Sure Start 
23.1  Childcare 
Strategy  19.3 
Children's Ser. Development Fund/Youth Crime 
25.0  Alternatives 
to Exclusion  11.0
 Study Support 
10.0  Early Intervention 
 13.0 
Supporting Parents  8.0
 Classroom Assistants 
36.0  Reducing 
Class Sizes  15.0
 Support for Teachers 
4.0  Higher Still 
 5.0 
National Grid for Learning  20.0
 Inclusion 
20.0  New Community 
Schools  20.5 
Specialist Provision  5.0
 In-Service SEN Training for Teachers
8.4  A Teaching 
Profession for the 21st Century  416.2
 Additional Out of School Care 
3.0  Enhanced Adult 
Literacy and Numeracy Services  10.4
 Speech and Language Therapists 
2.5  Pre-School 
Education Grant  137.0
 Education Disability Strategies and Pupil 
Records  9.0 
Community Care  Mental 
Illness Specific Grants  20.0
 Carers Services and Respite Care 
21.0  Community 
Care Action Plan  10.0
 Delayed Discharge
10.0  Mental Health 
Bill 1.2 
Learning Disability Review  16.0
 Improved Care for Older People/Joint Future 
 49.0 
Drugs Rehabilitation  7.3
 National Review of Care Home Fees 
TBC  Adults with 
Incapacity  1.0 
Free Personal and Nursing Care  143.0
 Preserved Rights and Residential Allowance 
 81.0 
Housing  Supporting 
People Preparation 8.0
 Rough Sleepers Initiative
8.8  Environment 
 New Contaminated Land Regime 
2.0  Access to 
Countryside 6.5 
Improved Waste Disposal 7.0
 Transport 
Enhanced Concessionary Fares 55.0
 Other 
Better Neighbourhoods Services Fund 40.0
 Additional Debt Advice
3.0  Quality of 
Life  50.0 
Non-Housing Capital Allocations 506.2
 Flood Prevention/Coastal Protection 
11.8  Air Quality 
Management 0.3 
Piers and Harbours 2.0
 Land Decontamination
5.0  Investment 
in Roads and Bridges  35.0
 Housing Revenue Account 
126.0  Programme 
Grants  Social Inclusion Partnerships 
 71.0 
Community Ownership/NHP  117.0
 Rural Transport Fund 
6.5  Rough Sleepers 
Initiative  3.7 
Homelessness Taskforce  20.0
 Glasgow Hostels 
5.0  Modernising 
Government Fund  15.0
 Community Safety 
4.0  Integrated 
Transport Fund (inc. Public Transport) 139.2
 Floodline 
0.6  Strategic 
Waste Fund  30.2
 Disposal of Fridges 
2.0  Water and 
Sewerage Reduction Scheme  8.0
 Delayed Discharge 
20.0  Joint Health 
Improvement Strategies  0.5
 Pre-School Workforce Development 
3.6  School Buildings 
Improvement Fund  TBC
 Changing Children's Services Fund 
44.5  Schools PPP: 
Support for at least £1.1 billion of capital investment in schools.


  Note:

  In addition to support for specific policy initiatives, total revenue grant (AEF) also includes allowance for general pay and inflation and other cost pressures. Where programme grants are also available to other agencies in addition to local authorities, e.g. Modernising Government Fund, the total available allocation has been shown.

Ministers

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much money has now been paid in lump sum payments to its former ministers since May 1999.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in lump sum payments to the former Lord Advocate, Lord Hardie.

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much has been paid in lump sum payments to the former Solicitor General, Neil Davidson.

Mr Andy Kerr: I refer the member to the answer given to question S1W-25770 on 6 June 2002. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:   http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Population

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to announce specific measures to tackle the falling population.

Lewis MacDonald: The Executive believes that a growing population, with a highly skilled and motivated workforce, will help grow the economy. We want Scotland to be an attractive place to live and work for both individuals and businesses. Measures that will affect the size of Scotland’s population range from those that ease the financial and practical difficulties of parenting to our collaboration with the enterprise networks and Scottish Development International on a number of initiatives to link Scottish businesses with successful Scots now living overseas and to attract those with appropriate skills to live and work in Scotland.

Prison Service

Bill Aitken (Glasgow) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what disciplinary action was taken against prisoners involved in the disturbance at HM Prison Shotts in April 2002.

Mr Jim Wallace: A report was sent to the Procurator Fiscal’s Office on a prisoner who has now been liberated.

Public Services

Mr John Home Robertson (East Lothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will prioritise high levels of investment in public services.

Mr Andy Kerr: By 2005-06, investment in public services will be over £4 billion higher than in 2002-03. This is a huge investment in every aspect of Scottish life. We will use this investment to deliver first class public services across the board.

  We have set out clearly what we will deliver across the Executive, and how it will be paid for. Our five priorities for action – health, education, crime, transport and jobs – make sure our resources are focussed on what matters to the daily lives of the people of Scotland.

Sex Offenders

Mr Gil Paterson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many sex offenders have been recalled for breach of licence in each year since 1999.

Mr Jim Wallace: The information is not available in the form requested. Information relating to the recall to custody of prisoners released on licence is published in the annual report of the Parole Board for Scotland. The board’s report for 2001 was laid before the Parliament on 30 May 2002 and copies are available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 21650).

Taxation

Helen Eadie (Dunfermline East) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what impact any use of the tax-varying powers under Part IV of the Scotland Act 1998 would have on the economy and employment and poverty levels.

Mr Andy Kerr: The Executive has made clear that it will not make use of these powers in the lifetime of this parliament. Separate estimates have not, therefore, been made of the likely effect on the economy, employment and poverty levels. Such forecasting would involve detailed modelling and would carry significant cost. It would also rapidly become out of date. The revenue effect has however been estimated. The most recent estimate is that for 2002-03, varying the basic rate by 1p would generate/cost £230 million.

Tourism

Alex Fergusson (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made by Schlumberger Sema through eTourism Ltd with visitscotland.com.

Mike Watson: The first few months of visitscotland.com operations have been very successful. Since its new National Contact Centre was opened in August, it has received over 100,000 phone and email enquiries, and has made over 4,000 bookings with tourism businesses across Scotland, many of them small establishments which are now using visitscotland.com to reach a new market. An entirely new website will be implemented within the next three months which will further extend the service available through visitscotland.com to all Scottish tourism businesses.

Water Fluoridation

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it supports the medication of the water supply with fluoride.

Mrs Mary Mulligan: Water fluoridation is one of the options on which views are sought in our current consultation paper Towards Better Oral Health in Children , and, as stated previously, the Executive is neutral on this particular issue.

  But this consultation is not simply a debate on fluoride. By any measure, oral health in Scotland compares poorly with other countries, and we need to build a consensus about how best to tackle this problem. Negative responses, simply rejecting one option or another, do not help build that consensus. As such, I would encourage individuals and organisations wishing to contribute substantively to the consultation to identify also the actions they favour.

Water Services

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether, since the decision to withdraw Lerwick’s status as a high natural dispersion area, Scottish Water has made any assessment of the capital and running cost implications of the upgrading of the Lerwick waste water treatment plant and any resulting increased water charges to its business customers.

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment has been made of the impact on businesses in Lerwick of the decision to withdraw the area’s status as a high natural dispersion area.

Ross Finnie: I have asked Dr Jon Hargreaves, Chief Executive of Scottish Water to respond. His response is as follows:

  Preliminary investigations suggest the capital cost of upgrading Lerwick Wastewater Treatment Plant is in the region of £4 million, with additional operating costs of £75,000 per year.

  In terms of charges to business customers, in general wastewater charges are set each year based on overall cost estimates and it is not possible to assess the implication of a specific investment. However, trade effluent customers will be affected by an upgrade to the plant due to the introduction of secondary treatment. Scottish Water is speaking directly to those businesses affected to discuss possible options for minimising the impact of the increase.

Young People

Scott Barrie (Dunfermline West) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to support young people who run away from home or residential care.

Cathy Jamieson: The Executive has established a working group bringing together external experts to consider the support needs of children who run away from home or residential care and children abused through prostitution.

  The interim Report of the Working Group issued on 30 December. Copies have been placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 25819). This contains draft guidance for professionals to help improve services and good practice examples.

  The Executive has identified additional funding for helplines that provide support and counselling for children and up to £600,000 in funding to take forward work on refuge provision.

Youth Crime

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to prevent youth crime.

Cathy Jamieson: Significant progress continues to be made. We have launched national standards for the youth justice system; announced a planned increase of 25% in secure places; amended the Criminal Justice Bill to allow more information and support to victims; provided an additional £6 million to local authorities for youth justice work and to improve IT capabilities; launched two major new funds – the Intensive Support and Youth Crime Prevention Funds to support a wide range of local programmes to broaden the range of effective disposals available to hearings from the statutory and voluntary sectors, and helped enhance community safety through the recent Safer Scotland Police campaign.

Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body

Holyrood Project

Ms Margo MacDonald (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer whether a condition of the contract between the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body in relation to the construction of the new Parliament building at Holyrood and EMBT/RMJM Ltd is that the architects have collateral warranties from EMBT Arquitectes and RMJM Scotland Ltd.

Sir David Steel: The provision of collateral warranties was not a condition of the contract with EMBT/RMJM and, therefore, such warranties have never been sought or provided.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer what the total cost has been of fees (a) paid and (b) payable to Shepherd and Wedderburn WS for legal advice provided in connection with Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, Flour City International Inc. and the Holyrood project.

Sir David Steel: Further to my answer to S1W-30169 on 10 October 2002, the expected costs (invoice awaited) for the additional work by Shepherd and Wedderburn, solicitors, in advising on claims against both Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd and Flour City International Inc are £13,680 plus VAT and outlays for US agents of £1,370.

Holyrood Project

Fergus Ewing (Inverness East, Nairn and Lochaber) (SNP): To ask the Presiding Officer,  further to his answer to question S1W-32000 on 10 December 2002, what the names were of those present at the meeting on 4 September 2001 with Bovis Lend Lease (Scotland) Ltd and representatives of Flour City International Inc. and Flour City Architectural Metals (UK) Ltd, whether there were any other meetings with these bodies other than that which took place on 4 September 2001 and, if so, on what date or dates such meetings took place and who attended.

Sir David Steel: Those attending the meeting on 4 September 2001 were present in their capacity as representatives of their respective organisations, not as individuals in their own right. Any agreed actions or decisions are made on behalf of the organisations they represent and it would be inappropriate to identify individuals. I understand from the Convener of the Holyrood Progress Group that no other meetings took place involving members from the Holyrood Project Team.